portray

verb

por·​tray pȯr-ˈtrā How to pronounce portray (audio)
pər-
portrayed; portraying; portrays
Synonyms of portray

transitive verb

1
: to make a picture of : depict
2
a
: to describe in a particular way
The article portrayed the president as confident.
b
: to play the role of : enact
portrays the hero in the film
portrayer noun

Synonyms of portray

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Examples of portray in a Sentence

The White House has portrayed the President as deeply conflicted over the matter. The lawyer portrayed his client as a victim of child abuse. He portrayed himself as a victim. The painting portrays the queen in a purple robe. Laurence Olivier portrayed Hamlet beautifully.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Reuters — Japan’s government is portraying its accelerating military buildup not only as ​a way to protect the country but as a route to greater prosperity, arguing in ‌its latest defence white paper that arms production can support economic growth. — Reuters, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026 The news arrives after the recent release of the blockbuster Michael biopic, which portrayed Jackson as a father with an iron fist and hair-trigger temper who used physical punishment to push his sons to stardom. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2026 Nando Sigona, a professor at the University of Birmingham, said that Meloni detested a move Sánchez presided over in July to grant legal status to about 1 million longtime residents, and is eager to portray his approach as a failure. — Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Superman has been portrayed by multiple actors, but each reboot has largely asked audiences to begin again. — David Deal, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for portray

Word History

Etymology

Middle English portraien, purtrayen, purtreyen "to draw, paint, depict, decorate, form a mental image of," borrowed from Anglo-French purtraire "to represent (in drawing, painting, etc.), depict, decorate, plan" (also continental Old French pourtraire), from pur-, pour-, por-, prefix marking completion of an action (going back to Latin prō-, prefix denoting forward movement) + traire "to drag, pull, draw out, launch, shoot, trace, represent," going back to Latin trahere "to drag, draw, take along" — more at pro- entry 2, abstract entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of portray was in the 14th century

Rhymes for portray

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Browse Nearby Words

portraiture
portray
portrayal
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portray. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

portray

verb
por·​tray pōr-ˈtrā How to pronounce portray (audio)
pȯr-
1
: to make a portrait of
2
a
: to describe in words
b
: to play the role of
portrayer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on portray

Nglish: Translation of portray for Spanish Speakers

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